Ice cream franchise, Cold Rock, is launching an Express model, with new stores in the format of a complementary outlet in jointly branded, high profile retail sites.

The multi-brand venture was introduced in Victoria last month by Cold Rock’s owner, Franchised Food Company, which plans to take the new model nationwide.

The first Express outlet opened in a Video Ezy store in Kew, in Melbourne’s south east, and six more are scheduled to open in the Souvlaki Hut system.

“To the best of my knowledge, this hasn’t really been done to any scale before in Australia or overseas and puts us at the forefront of retail development,” said Franchised Food Company’s managing director, Stan Gordon said.

“With much of traditional retailing under immense pressure we are moving quickly to innovate and seize opportunities to expand our presence.

“By providing a complementary brand offering out of the same premises, using the same back of house and mostly the same staff, it gives the retailer greater efficiency and spreads fixed costs such as rent, wages and utilities.”

The Video Ezy outlet has done exceptionally well since its opening, Gordon said, offering consumers the opportunity to enhance their in-home entertainment by providing the range of ice-cream treats Cold Rock is known for.

“The Cold Rock Express stores provide the popular items from our range but obviously with a much smaller footprint and lower setup costs,” he said.

“They can be easily deployed to be ‘stores-within-stores’ of other complementary retail outlets and will help fuel the growth of our brand.”

Gordon cautioned operators, however, that dual branding needed to be complementary and make operational sense.

“A fashion retailer in a restaurant is unlikely to work,” he said.